I hate them too! This is the 3rd time she has tested positive. First time was at her yearly exam a year or 2 ago. She was showing no symptoms at the time. She did the 28 day course of doxycycline and we thought that would be it, because it was caught early and everything. Then last summer she started limping, and the limping was on a different leg nearly every day, which is usually a sign of tick-borne disease. So we retested her and she was positive again (or still positive from the first time maybe). And now she is strong positive again, and is showing basically every symptom there is to show. So I don't know if she keeps getting infected, or this is the same infection that just isn't going away. Ticks are so bad here in the spring, and I've tried basically every anti-tick stuff. We use Frontline Plus at the shelter, and it just isn't that effective any more. The dogs are still picking up ticks, and it does nothing for fleas on the cats. Some of the dogs have gotten lyme disease after staying with us a few months, even though we use frontline. Some of the newer spot ons might be more effective but they also cause seizures in some cases... I hate to put pesticides on my dog, but I don't know what else do do at this point.

I should hear from the vet before lunch time, so I will let you know what they say after I get back from work... hopefully it is good news and my puppy can come home. I didn't sleep at all last night, it was too quiet in my room without her panting and pawing at her bed and flopping down and snoring!

I had to leave work. I couldn't even go in. The vet called and said Sable's platelets were low and they wanted to transfuse her and it will cost $3,000-$5,000. I said yes, I will take it out of my savings, I don't care. The vet, I think it was a different vet than last night, said she thought there was something secondary to the anaplasmosis. She mentioned autoimmune disease and cancer like the vet last night did. We just lost a shelter dog, Carmela to auto immune type thing like the vet was saying. and obviously cancer is bad. and I'm crying so hard now I don;t know what to do. and my mom is not supportive, she said "falling apart isn't going to help anyone" but I can;t help it and then she started to talk about what if sable is really sick and we neeed to think about quality of life and I told her to shut up beacuse i can;t think about that now, ppk, i just can't.

don't panic! doctors will give you the worst-case outcome because they have to, but it's a precaution, not a guarantee! she still might have something very treatable. and you don't have to process everything right now; wait until they can tell you something definitive.

_________________"rise from the ashes of douchebaggery like a fancy vegan phoenix" - amandabear"I'm pretty sure the moral of this story is: fork pants." - cq

Thanks acr, I need someone to tell me not to panic because I am totally panicking. I really want it to just be anaplasmosis. I looked up the symptoms for it, and low platelet count is one of the first ones listed. So I don't know why they think that would be caused by something else. I tried to get more info from my mom, because she is the one who took the call, but she said she didn't understand half of what the vet said. My friend is in vet school and her school owns the emergency vet I think and she has access to all the records. So she is going to look up Sable's file today when she has the time and then she can explain it to me.

My mom said we can visit Sable later today. I just want to see her and hug her so bad.

I'm really glad that you are able to visit her! That's also great that your friend can access her record and then you can get someone to explain everything that is going on. The last time I took a cat to the ER, I felt like the vet wasn't doing a very good job of explaining what all of the (very expensive tests) were saying.

_________________I like my bagels like I like my men - big and covered with earth balance & nooch. - Bunniee

The latest news I have is that they haven't transfused yet, but they have donor dogs on standby. They sent out bloods for a PCR test for anaplasmosis (it's a more sensitive test and will hopefully give more info) and a leptospirosis test, and are doing an ultrasound. They said she was stable but still lethargic. Her fever went down, though, so that is good. So many people are rooting for Sable. I am glad she has so many friends. Her physical therapist even called the emergency vet to check in on her.

Vet just called- ultrasound showed nodules on her liver and spleen which could be cancer. They can't aspirate them right now because her platelets are too low so they are going to do a transfusion. I'm completely devastated. I don't know what to do. it's like I can't even process it. i feel totally numb

Oh, I am so very sorry Sable. I hope its not cancer and that Sable comes home to you very soon. Please don't apologize for posting, we're here for you, and you definitely can count on lots of internet hugs.

You're so inspiring for all the work you do with the animals at the shelter, and I know you see some really terrible things, so you know how lucky Sable is to have you and how much she loves you for being an awesome doggiemama <3 <3 <3

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

So many hugs RC. I read this last night but couldn't post, and felt so bad that I couldn't be one more to let you know that I'm thinking about you and sending good thoughts for you and for Sable. Hugs again and more hugs.

thank you. they don't know 100% it's cancer and older dogs sometimes just get nodules on their liver and spleen as normal aging, but she is not responding to her treatment and that's why they think there is a bigger problem. her platelets got lower so they are going to do a transfusion and i am going to see her at 6 and i don't think i can hold myself together at all, but i don't want sable to know i'm all upset. and i don;t want her to die in a strange vet hospital. i asked my mom if sable needs to be put down can we bring her home and have our vet come to the house and do it but my mom doesn;t know and i'm arguing with her right now because she is not being supportive and acts like crying is a waste of time and maybe it is? but i have feelings and i can;t help it.

if i weren't so concerned for you, i might scold you for thinking for even one second that you might ever need to apologize to anyone for having feelings. if crying about things that break your heart is a waste of time, i am the queen of being good for nothing. what you are dealing with is crushing; please stay here and talk to us if other people can't understand that and support you while you try to navigate it.

_________________"rise from the ashes of douchebaggery like a fancy vegan phoenix" - amandabear"I'm pretty sure the moral of this story is: fork pants." - cq